Mock "KIND" Bars {Nut and Fruit Bars}

Do you remember when I told you about KIND bars?  Probably not, so...to review, click here.

I tried a KIND bar.  They are so, so, SO delicious, and I love that you can see and identify what's in them, just real fruit and real nuts, sweetened by real honey.

But I've never bought them.  Wanna know why?

They are super expensive.  Around $1 per bar.  Or more, depending on where you get 'em.  And these are little bars.  So tiny!

But they are so yummy.

That's why I'm so excited to share this recipe with you.  It tastes just like KIND bars, at a fraction of the price.  You have got to try these.

Mock "KIND" Bars {Nut and Fruit Bars}

Adapted from The Nourishing Home
(Click here to print this recipe)

• 1/3 c. Honey
• 2 T Ground flax seed (or coconut flour)
• 1 T Natural almond butter or other nut or seed butter 
• 1/8 t. Salt (omit if your nuts are salted)
• 1 1/3 c. Chopped nuts or seeds
• 1/2 c. Unsweetened dry fruit
• 1 c. Unsweetened flaked coconut

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.  Grease well an 8x8 pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together first 4 ingredients.
3. Add nuts, dry fruit, and coconut and stir until everything is thoroughly combined
4. Pour the mixture into prepared pan, and using a piece of wax paper that's been sprayed with cooking spray, firmly pack down the mixture.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.  Place the pan into the refrigerator  to continue cooling.
6. When the bars are cool, cut into 8 bars.  Wrap individually and store in the fridge or freezer.

Note: This recipe is completely customizable.  Feel free to use the nuts, seeds, and fruit that you like.  You can even add mini chocolate chips.  Just be sure to keep the amount of dry ingredients a little under 2 cups.  I used 1/2 c. cashews, 1/2 c. almonds, and 1/3 c. pepitas, as well as 1/2 c. dried cranberries.  Oatmeal and pecans would make excellent additions as well.

Additional note: You could easily cut these into 12 smaller bars, which would make these around 150 calories per bar.